Engagement rates and organic ranking: is there a correlation?

Do website engagement rates affect a website’s organic ranking? Is there a link between time spent on site, bounce rates and even conversion rates? Organic ranking on the major search engines has an impact on the ability of a website to achieve its potential. Whilst it may not be the key algorithm for the likes of Google or Bing, what happens on site does indirectly affect rankings.

It’s a confusing digital world we live and work in nowadays. Therefore it is important to understand what each term means and, importantly, how they affect organic rankings. The Guardian makes a valid point when it says that ultimately a well-designed, user-friendly website will always do well in organic rankings.

Engagement rates

Engagement rates on a website can be monitored using an analytical tool. Take time to consider where the visitor has come from. If you’re paying for advertising, then it is extremely important to monitor how long visitors stay and what they do when visiting your site. Do they land at the exact page they wanted and proceed to purchase? Do they sign up to your newsletter? Do they spend time browsing? This is all key to having a website that is easy to navigate and gives visitors what they want.

Take the time to ensure you have a decent website designed from the outset. A high bounce rate, for example, may imply poor design and content. If you are seeking #Hemel Hempstead Web Design agencies, for example, you may want to consider http://www.24-7website.co.uk/web-design-hemel-hempstead/, who are experienced web designers with some great reviews on their site from previous customers.

What does Google Say?

Google states that it does not measure how long a visitor spends on each website. In fact, is it possible for them to do this anyway? Yes, in a way they can, by using their algorithms. Unless you are new to the digital world, you will hear stories regularly of Google changing their algorithms and how this affects organic rankings. According to the Search Engine Journal, outgoing links have also been shown to have a positive effect on rankings too.

Of course, you could argue that the higher the website ranking on a search engine the better the user engagement. So, how did that website achieve its rankings? A discussion for another day!